In partnership with Wildlife Forever, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently announced that it will host the Florida State-Fish Art Contest.

Students from Florida in kindergarten through 12th grade can compete in the free contest for a chance to win state and national honors, and prizes. The program inspires creativity, while developing the next generation of anglers and conservationists.

Florida winners will be selected by the FWC in four grade categories: kindergarten through third grade, fourth through sixth grade, seventh through ninth grade, and 10th through 12th grade. State winners will advance to the National Competition to be judged for top prizes such as the Best of Show.

“We are committed to increasing youth participation in freshwater and saltwater fishing through this effort,” FWC Director Eric Sutton said. “The State-Fish Art program is a unique and creative way to connect to youth anglers and the FWC is proud to be sponsoring the initiative for Florida.”

To enter, students should submit their entry consisting of the following:

∫ An original horizontal 9-by12 inch piece of artwork featuring any fish from the Official Fish List.

∫ A piece of creative writing, no longer than one page, about the chosen species (required for grades 4-12).

∫ A Florida State-Fish Art Contest entry form.

The deadline to enter is March 31.

Participants may choose to mail their entry to: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

ATTN: Laura Rambo, Florida Fish Art Contest

620 S Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32301. They also have the option to submit photos or a scanned copy of their entry to R3@MyFWC.com.

For contest information, entry forms and more, visit www.StateFishArt.org.